Regional Managing Directors

Lorenzo Ceccarelli

Regional Managing Director, Iberia and Italy

Lorenzo Ceccarelli has a chemical background, with 30 years experience in the chemicals market in Europe and the Middle East, holding various positions from Sales Manager to Managing Director, in family owned companies and multi-nationals, in chemical distribution as well as chemical manufacturing companies.  He joined Azelis in 2008 as COO in the Spanish unit Impex Quimica – Barcelona; in 2009 he became Regional Managing Director of Iberia and Italy, in 2010 he also became  International Business Director of the Food & Health business. In his current position he is responsible for the achievement of financial results of the Region and for implementing the strategic direction of Azelis Food & Health.

Michel Vandermeiren

Regional Managing Director, Benelux and France

Michel Vandermeiren holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Louvain-la-Neuve and a Marketing degree from INSEAD. He started his career in applied R&D in the UK and evolved towards sales and marketing roles across different industries. Before joining Azelis in 2010, Michel was a Director with Univar with responsibilities in Nordic, CEE and Benelux regions. Michel is accountable for the net financial results in the Benelux region, and is also tasked with driving through group strategy and facilitating Industry Business Director commercial plans.

Patrik Edström

Regional Managing Director, Nordic countries

Patrik Edström joined Azelis in 2010 after seven years of managing the distribution arm of global industrial minerals producer Omya. Patrik came to Azelis with a world of international experience gained in various commercial roles working in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and France. Patrik is based in Azelis Copenhagen office where he is accountable for the financial performance of the Nordic region and for implementing group strategies.

Michael Thomson

Regional Managing Director, Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Saarland, Germany. He has then held various commercial- and general management positions in the Speciality Chemicals industry, at manufacturers (Solvay, ECC a.o.) and in distribution (Solvadis, IMCD). For the last 10 years Michael worked for IMCD as Managing Director Germany and Group Director Business Development Africa & Middle East, prior to his appointment within Azelis.

Joan Traynor

Regional Managing Director, UK & Ireland

Joan started her career with ICI in various sales, marketing and operations roles. She joined Chance & Hunt (part of ICI) in 1997 after completing an MBA, and was the Marketing Director when it was divested from ICI in 1999 and became a standalone business. Azelis acquired Chance & Hunt in 2002. Joan was appointed Regional Managing Director for the UK & Ireland in 2005. In this capacity she has responsibility for financial performance and ensuring that the regional organisation provides excellent service to its principals and customers.

Ebru Telli

Regional Managing Director, Mediterranean East

Ebru Telli grew up in Istanbul and holds a Classical Languages and Business Administration degree from Istanbul University. She began her business career in 1989, working for a local distributor of coatings and chemicals. Ebru then founded her own distribution company, Tara Kimya AS in 1996, serving the paints, varnishes, inks, adhesives and construction sectors. The company was acquired by Azelis in 2008. As the Regional Managing Director of Mediterranean East, Ebru is responsible for performance across Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia.

Zsombor Bereczki

Regional Managing Director, CEE

Zsombor Bereczki joined Azelis in 2011. He started his carrier at 3M and later held regional commercial positions at Sony across different industries. Zsombor holds a degree from Budapest Technical University and completed his MBA in 2007. He is accountable for the financial result of Central and Eastern Europe region and driving group strategy in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Baltic States, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.